For Carl Junction R-I Superintendent Dr. Phil Cook, education is in his blood. Dr. Cook’s dad Paul was an industrial arts teacher and administrator for 34 years. His mother Alma taught elementary school for 40 years, and is a member of the Kansas Teacher’s Hall of Fame. His brother is also a teacher. When Dr. Read More

Natural light floods Ashley Angle’s kindergarten classroom, illuminating boxes of holiday ornaments the children have made. Each ornament features a group of snowmen made from a child’s handprint. The bright red or blue bulbs each bear the name of a child and will be given to parents and guardians – a keepsake for years to Read More

This morning marked day 11 of this teacher’s winter break, but it was day one for my quiet staycation at home after hectic holiday plans and a flooded basement. After a relaxing soak in the bathtub, I opened my computer to social media. When I opened my newsfeed, I noticed a story posted by a Read More

The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice. ~ Brian Herbert My husband and I love to travel. We celebrated our 30th anniversary with a trip to Oregon. We prepared by poring over maps, guide books, websites, and re-tracing our steps from Read More

Lebanon R-III is not immune to the challenges that many districts face across the country. Sixty-two percent of its students receive free or reduced-price lunch. There was a time when the district battled low graduation rates. But if you ask Lebanon R-III Superintendent Dr. Duane Widhalm what makes the district and community special to him, it’s simple. Read More

When Monroe City R-I Superintendent Dr. Jim Masters first stepped into his classroom in 1983, he had no idea the direction his career would take him. He was interested in education because he wanted to be a coach. But beyond that? “No one walks in the first day and says they want to be superintendent,” Read More

Susie Rahlmann and education seemed like a perfect match, at least to one person. Growing up in Fredericktown, a small community in southeast Missouri, Rahlmann spent plenty of time around children. Her high school agriculture teacher, Tom Mooney, had an idea where this might lead. “I would see her around little kids,” said Mooney. “They lit Read More

A good-sized snake rests under a heat lamp inside a glass tank in Lucy Shrout’s sixth-grade science class. He’s a big hit with the students, even (or especially) when it’s time to feed him a live mouse or two. Lucy says the kids will occasionally handle the ball python and enjoy having him in their Read More